BFI Flare announces films to open and close this year’s London LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Lead Pic: LAYLA by Rob Baker Ashton

The 38th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, which runs March 13 – 24 at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player, has announced its Opening Night Gala is the European premiere of Amrou Al-Kadhi‘s confident debut feature LAYLA, and its Closing Night Gala is the World Premiere of docu-fiction LADY LIKE by director/producer Luke Willis. 

The European premiere of LAYLA, which recently had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, opens the Festival on Wednesday, March 13. Deeply personal and engaging, LAYLA, which stars Bilal Hasna, tells the story of a struggling Arab drag queen whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown, they are surprised to catch the eye of marketing executive Max, whose attentions sweep Layla off their feet. The two start an intoxicating romance, but as Layla starts altering who they are to keep Max’s interest, they both face uncomfortable truths.

Amrou Al-Kadhi, LAYLA‘s director, said: “It’s such a profound honour and joy to be opening BFI Flare this year. BFI Flare has been utterly instrumental to my career. The fantastic BFI Flare x BAFTA mentorship programme was where I met Savannah James-Bayly, my now forever producer and best-friend, with whom I went on to make four shorts, almost all of which screened at the festival.

“So, we are deeply proud to be bringing our first feature, LAYLA, home to BFI Flare. LAYLA is a film dedicated to the creative resilience of the queer community, and a love-letter to queer joy – to be opening the festival where I first felt the impact of joyful representation on screen, found my people and laid the foundations of my career, is a cosmic gift, and I simply cannot wait to celebrate LAYLA with my community.”

The Closing Night gala on Saturday, March 23 is the world premiere of LADY LIKE that follows the story of London-born, San Francisco-based drag queen Lady Camden, aka Rex Wheeler, as she is catapulted into the spotlight on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14. In this rags to riches origin story, Lady Camden struggles to manage the demands of her freshly minted international fame, while Rex is forced to come to terms with the troubling childhood he left behind in Camden which drove him to so desperately seek joy, fantasy and escape through the performing arts. 

Luke Willis, LADY LIKE‘s director, said: “I cannot think of a better place to premiere LADY LIKE than BFI Flare! This story builds to Lady Camden‘s long-awaited return home to London to perform for the first time at the very nightclub that he ever went to as a young gay boy – Heaven. It will be such a blast to share this inspiring story that starts in Camden, finds itself in San Francisco, traverses the globe, and ends in London with BFI Flare audiences!”

The full programme for BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will be revealed on Tuesday, February 13.